General News.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20037, 19 September 1930, Page 10

General News.

A local invention in use at the Wheat Research station at Lincoln College to sow twenty-five grains of wheat by the same "expenditure of labour as it formerly took to sow one has resulted in a saving of £6O in the labour bill for the year. The Rotorua City Council has set its face firmly against tho erection ot advertising signs on country roads. Several members pointed out at the last meeting that wherever a beauty spot existed which was likely to attract attention it was spoiled by some glaring sign Which completely blocked the view. The engineer was instructed to take prompt action to have all such signs removed. Applications for relief by sufferers from unemployment before tho sub-com-mittee of tho Benevolent Committee of the Hospital Board yesterday numbered 175. Almost every applicant had a family dependent on him; In one instance a man had ten childron to provide for. At the end of two weeks, if tho recipient's circumstances have not altered, application for further relief has to be made.

One sentence in the news article regarding the City Sinking funds, which appeared in yesterday's issue, was incomplete" It should have read: *'Under the existing system, with no borrowing powers, these receipts from interest, repayments of investments, and funds handed to the Commissioners have to lie idle whilst accumulating until a sufficient sum is available to take up an investment." % Eepresentatives of the .Canterbury Progress League, Messrs J. E. Strachan and P. B. Climie, conferred on Wednesday with members .of the Oxford and Ashley County Councils and the sqldier settlers of Lees Valley on the subject of the Abridges required over the Whistler and Upper Ashley rivers. It was resolved to mako representations to the Government on the matter, and the Progress League was authorised to, speak On behalf of all the parties concerned. Enquiries.,were, made yesterday regarding n message received from Sydney, which stated that an elaborate automatic mail-sorting plant, an Australian invention, had been put into operation at the Sydnev General Post Office, but .postal officials in Christchurch were unable to give further details of the system. One mail officer stated that he had seen all the chier American .mail-sorting plants, but none answered to the description given of the Sydney system. * A resident of Governor's Bay 'informed a representative of The Pass* yesterday that the bay was rapidly becoming unusable by even the smallest of launches, in spite of the long jetty that has been built. The dredge, he stated, in addition to carrying many tons of spoil away from the harbour, stirred up the mud to a largo extent, and the tides deposited the silt upon the various small beaches. It would not be long, he stated, before picnics to the bay, by boat, would be impossible.

In the wheat-growing areas of Canada the protein content of each truck of wheat is taken at the place of loading and sent on in advance of the grain to Winnipeg, the headquarters. This involves much organisation. A map of the area marked with all the hundreds of stations at which this is done was presented to yesterday's meeting of the committee of the Wheat Research Institute; it looked like the intricate network of a big railway system. The price of the grain depends largely on its protein content. "Regarding the conference proposed by the Sumner Borough Council to discuss the setting up of a Conservancy Board for the control of the Avon-Heathcote estuary, action has bean deferred awaiting the receipt of a letter from the Lyttelton Harbour Board defining' its position on the subject. The Mayor of Sumner (Mr W. H. Nicholson) told a reporter yesterday that the Board's letter has been received by the town clerk and would come up for consideration at next Monday's meeting of the Borough Council. Mr Nicholson expected that action would be taken immediately the letter was dealt with. A daring and apparently amateurish attempt was made on Wednesday evening to break into the premises of Messrs Calder, Mackay and Co., Ltd., 116 Worcester street, when a heavy, sharp instrument was used in an endeavour to force the lock of a small door in the side entrance to the building. This had been almost accomplished when the intruder decamped, probably frightened away by a passerby. The attempt was made between 0 p.m., when the office closed, and 11 p.m., at which hour n member of the staff returned with a motor-car and saw that the door had bee* tampered with.

The wearable value of the goods collected by the Dunedin Commercial Travellers' Association on their "big day" has been assessed by two exmembers of their Association and fixed at £IO,OOO. Press Association. . Owing to u derailment of trucks at P-snrose blocking tho railway line yesterday morning, tho Limitecl express from Wellington was diverted over the Westfield deviation and through the new goods yards to the station. Thus, through an accident, the Limited was tho first time-table train to use the new deviation, which is not to be opened for more than a month yet.—Press Association. "One or two riders have found that water has been put in the milk supplied them for refreshment," said a member of the North Canterbury Centro of the New Zealand Athletic and Cycling Union, at its meeting last evening, referring to tho supply of refreshments given the riders during the course of the race. "They say it makes the milk thin," he said. "It is a thin story," commented Mr G. Henderson. "I have sampled some of that milk and it is exceedingly good." A rock garden, which will be planted with as many representative specimens of tho flora of the area as it will bo possible to obtain, will he formed at Arthur's Pass in tho future., if tho Artnur's Pass National Park Hoard can obtain a suitable piece of land now belonging to tho Rnilwav Department. Conveying this information to a reporter of The Piikss yesterday, Mr R. Twyneham, a member of the Board, said that the work of stocking the garden will be dono under the supervision of the Grounds Committee. Not since the Mar has a- reunion of the Canterbury Regiment been held. With the idea of holding such a function, if possible in November Carnival Week. a meeting of thoso interested was held recently. Those present wero Major K. M. Gresson, Cantnin W. Murphv, and Messrs G. S. Salter. E V. Willcox, T. M Charters, and S. G. Bowron. After forming themselves into a committee, these elected a sub-com-mittee consisting of Messrs Salter, Bowron, and Willcox to make detailed nrarnpements for the reunion. A further meeting will bo held later to fix the date definitely. "The Arthur's Pass National Park Hoard is most anxious about the typo of hut erected at the Pass, and in the future will be vigilant to ensure that new huts conform to a standard of ap pearnnco," said Mr R Twvneham yesterday, discussing the inclusion of 17 acres of lnnd, previously in the hands of the Railway Department, in the area under the control of the Hoard. There were about 50 huts, some of them quite pretentious, but at the present tima there was a complete absence of control over them. The new system would be advnntarrcous to tho Hoard an. refused a subsidy on local body giants anil a surchage on foilway tickets, they were in need of funds. A small regular revenue would bo available from the control of the huts.

Discussing the Town Clerk's annual report, tho chairman of the Dunodin City Council's Finance Committee, whilst stating that the finances of tho city were sound, referred to the enor mous growth on the expenditure side and tho great increase in the amount of the debt. The speaker urged a cessation of borrowing for some yoara, and stated that ho believed a reduction could bo made in the rate?. In consideration of tho financial position of tho community, tho Council should reduce the rates next year and bring them to the level of ten years ago.—Press Association.

Iloforenco to tho fact tlint are not now supplied by the police with tho previous records of prisoners appearing for sentence was made by Mr Justioe Herdman in the Supreme Court at Auckland. Addressing the Crown Prosecutor, Mr Meredith, ho said: "I wish you would request or instruct tho police to give me a list of previous convictions. I get them in the calendar, but not here in Court in such cases as this. It is very difficult for mo sometimes to know how I ought to act without this information." His Honour asked that he also be supplied with the age of the prisoner. It used to be given to him, but it was only with di Acuity thai he got it now. Mr Meredith said he would see that the matter was attended to.

'With the approach of October, .Southland anglers are now busily engaged in overhauling and replenishing tackle and equipment in readiness Tor the fishing season. Reports from various sources indicate thut the streams are in fine condition, and in most instances they are well stocked with fish. The Otamitn, Wninioa, and Matarua Rivers particularly have experienced to all intents a better run than has been the ease for some years, and this fact, in the opinion of many, is attributable in a large measure to the ladder recently erected by the Southland Acclimatisation Society at the Matnrua Falls. This work was undertaken bv the Society principally at the instipntion of district clubs, which have long recognised its need. Facilities are now provided for fish to reach tho upper renches of the eastern Southland streams by way of the Matarua River, and there is every prospect that anglers will experience an unusually successful senson.

The Journal of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association for 1930 has been issued. It is a much more comprehensive production than usual, and includes articles by specialists on various aspects of farm practice. A foreword in the opening page by the President (Mr L. R. C. Macfarlane) solicits the help of members in maintaining the Association on a high plane, and he also provides an article on general farming conditions. Other contributors are Professor R. E. Alexander, Dr. O. H. Fmnkel, Mr Jas. Doana (Homebush), I. W. Weston, M.Sc, Ph.D.. H. J. Geddes, M.Ag.Sc, F. Lill, T. Rlgg! A. H. Flay, B.Sc., and W. H. Nicholson. There are also spveral unsigned articles. Ono of these, by a "High Country Shepherd," deals with tho depredations of the kea in an effective manner. The Review of the Year gives the history of primary production during the past twelve months, and the full record of the prize-winners at the last Show completes an informative publication. "Railway pussongers ; " please note that owing to deputations from our opponents to the Minister for Railways we have been compelled to remove our 'phone on tho Railway Station and would advise you to ask a Red Cap or porter to 'phone 34075 or 35572 for a Gold Band Taxi; they will willingly do' so with a nice smile and it will savp your money. Thank you —1 Don't go without a hot meal at midday. Drop into Cooke's and have a three-course luncheon. Ask for our booklet of six tickets for 7s 6d,. and save on e\'erv meal Cooke's and Tudor Ten Rooms. High street —6 Every ' Railway Passenger" will be disappointed to know that we have been compelled to remove onr 'phone on the station, but if you nsk at the Enquiry Office a Red Can or Porter to 'phone 34075 or 35572 for a Gold Band Taxi they will.do so willinejlv. Watch for our next move; we will give our opponents something to think about Thank you. —2 VOIGHTLANDER—KODAK - THE WORLD'S BEST CAMERAS ON EASY TERMS. A small deposit and just a few shillings weekly puts vou in possession of pitner of these world fnmqns cameras. Qet one now and you will be an expert user by summer Wallace and Co., Chemists, High street. . —2